Senators unanimously rejected a bill to establish the South-South Development Commission on Thursday after extensive deliberation, with staunch opposition from northern senators.
According to The Punch, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stepped down the bill when he sensed the general sentiment in the Senate was against it.
Sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River-South), the bill aimed to create a commission responsible for managing funds from the Federation Account Allocation and other sources to address infrastructural deficits, militancy, communal crises, and ecological issues in the South-South region.
The lead debate on the bill, read by Senator Benson Agadaga on behalf of Ekpeyong, was immediately challenged by two northern senators, Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi-Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi-Central).
Aliero argued that the proposed commission would duplicate the functions of the existing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, both of which already oversee development in the South-South and Niger Delta areas.
“I feel no need to support the second reading of this bill, which will make the Senate a laughing stock. It will amount to a duplication,” he stated.
Senator Abdul Ningi, despite expressing his affection for the South-South people and his frequent visits to the region, also opposed the bill, pointing out the redundancy of its proposed functions compared to those of the NDDC.
“When you take the NDDC law and this bill and compare them, they are the same. It is important that this bill is stood down for further consultation,” Ningi noted.
In response, Akpabio called for a vote to step down the bill, which was unanimously supported by the senators.
The Senate recently passed other regional development bills, including the North Central Development Commission Bill on April 4 and the North-West Development Commission Bill on April 16. The South East Development Commission Bill was also passed earlier in February.
